In Torino, Celine, an American model, is abducted by a taxi driver while en route home to meet her sister Linda, visiting at her apartment. The next morning, Linda reports that Celine is missing - the sergeant in charge directs her to F.B.I. agent Inspector Enzo Avolfi. He's from the Special New york City Department investigating a serial-killer that kidnaps foreigners to destroy their beauty. When a Japanese woman is found at nearby a fountain, Enzo and Linda find that the girl is calling the abductor's skin is "yellow" in color and Linda concludes that the guy might have jaundice. They go to the Policlinic di Torino to find the killer.

Vincent Gallo was initially set to play the role of Yellow but dropped out after his ex-fiancée Asia Argento was cast in the lead role. Ironically enough, she later quit the project because she was pregnant and was replaced by Emmanuelle Seigner.

Adrien Brody replaced Ray Liotta.

The movie's title refers to an Italian genre of mystery fiction which the director himself popularized worldwide with films such as Profondo rosso (1975).

This is Dario Argento's first theatrical directorial feature which isn't based on an original script by himself. However, the script was written specifically for him.

Byron Diedra, the pseudonym Adrien Brody went under to play Giallo, is an anagram of his name.